Shoe safety heel



Jan. 12, 1960 J. ROSS SHOE SAFETY HEEL Filed Feb. 11, 1959 F/G.3 FIG. 4

35 46 I I0 ,30 8 37 I 11 W 4-6 INVENTOR. r JASPER Ross 35 BY United States Patent This invention relates to footwear and more particularly to an anti-slip heel for shoes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a convertible safety heel for shoes that can be effectively used in a normal manner during good weather, but which may be adjusted to provide a plurality of depending spikes for frictionally engaging the ground during slippery and icy conditions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a convertible safety heel of the above type having manually controlled lock elements selectively securing the spikes in a normally retracted position and a converted depending extended position, so as to enable such shoes to be worn in all types of weather.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a convertible safety heel bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and eificient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of a safety heel made in accordance with the present invention connected to the bottom of a shoe and shown with the spikes in an extended position;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken along line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a left side view of the heel assembly shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a right side view of the heel assembly shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a rear plan view of the heel unit shown in Figure 1.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 thereof, a convertible safety heel made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a main body portion 12 of molded resilient material that can be suitably attached to the bottom of a shoe upper 14 in any conventional manner. This heel member 12 is provided with a central cutout 16 Within which the working parts are contained, thus enabling the main body portion 12 to be replaced when worn without effecting the working parts of the spike assembly.

A center post 18 secured to the shoe upper centrally within the central cutout 16 of the heel slidably supports a plate 20 upon which depending spikes 22 are secured for reciprocating vertical movement between a normally raised retracted position and a downwardly extended actuated position. A lever 24 pivotally mounted upon a depending pivot pin 26 within the recess 16 extends outwardly through an oblique slot 28 in the right side of the heel and terminates in a knob 30 which may be actuated to selectively move the opposite end of the lever out of blocking movement beneath the plate 20 to allow such plate to be moved downwardly by gravity into a spike extended position. Detents 32 integral with the outside of the heel 12 selectively secures the knob 30 of the lever in either one of the adjusted positions. Another lever 34 having a central slot- 36 slidably receiving a fulcrum pin 38 therethrough extends outwardly through a substantially straight slot 37 in the left side of the heel. The outermost end of this lever 34 is, provided with a knob 35 that may be selectively secured in opposite extreme positions by means of detents 46 on the outside ofthe heel body portion 12. The opposite inner end ofthe lever 34 is pivotally mounted by means of a short pivot pin 40 upon a slide plate 42 which is slidably supported within side channel recesses 44 Within the heel member 12. A rectangular cutout 45 in the leading edge of the plate 42 is operative to receive the main post 18 in response to forward sliding movement of the lock plate 42 into locking position above the top of the spike plate 20 so as to secure the spikes 22 in the downwardly extended position.

The operation of this heel will now be readily understood. Normally, the spike plate 20 is maintained in the raised inoperative position by the lock 24. How ever, in inclement weather, the lever 24 may be rotated in the slot 28 to enable the plate 20 to drop downwardly by gravity so that the spikes 22 are extended below the lower level of the heel. The spike plate is secured in this lowered position by means of the lock lever 34 which moves the lock plate 42 on top of the spike plate 20 so as to prevent the spikes from being retracted by the weight of the wearer. The spike plate may be returned to the retracted position simply by returning the lock lever 34 to its initial position, raising the spike plate 20, and then returning the lock lever 24 to its initial position blocking the downward movement of the spike plate.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A convertible safety heel for shoes comprising, in combination, a molded recessed heel with vertical outer walls, the recess in said heel extending therethrough from top to bottom and having interior vertical walls parallel with the exterior walls of said heel, side channel recesses formed in each of the interior surfaces of the side walls of said heel intermediate the top and bottom of said heel and parallel therewith, a central post of rectangular cross section vertically mounted within said recess and rigidly secured to the shoe upper centrally spaced from the side walls of said heel, a square plate with a central square opening and a plurality of depending spikes vertically movably secured upon said central post, a rectangular slide plate arranged transversely of said heel with its ends slidably supported within said channel recesses in the side Walls of said heel, a first pivot pin vertically mounted in the forward portion of said recess and rigidly secured to the shoe upper, a first lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon said first pivot pin, one end of said first lever extending outwardly through a slot in the side Wall of said heel, the opposite end of said first lever movable beneath said plate when in the normal upper position upon said central post thereby preventing downward movement thereof, and by movement away from said plate allowing said plate to fall downwardly by gravity, a second pivot pin vertically mounted in the rear portion of said recess and rigidly secured to the shoe upper, a second lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon said second pivot pin, one end of said second lever extending outwardly through a slot in the opposite side of said heel, the opposite end of said second lever pivotally mounted by means of a short pivot pin the central portion of said rectangular slide plate with ends in said channel recesses, rearward movement of said one end of said second lever effecting forward movement of the opposite end thereof and hence forward movement of said slide plate above said square plate when it is in a lowered position thereby preventing upward movement of the square plate and maintaining the lower ends of said spikes in a position below the lower level of said molded heel and preventing the spikes from being retracted by the weight of the wearer.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said molded heel is formed of resilient material and replaceable without replacement of said central post and associated l movable parts, and wherein said rectangular slide plate is formed with a rectangular cutout in the leading edge thereof to operatively receive the central post therein when in forwardmost position and retained in locking engagement therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 919,082 Schaney Apr. 20, 1909 1,134,228 Righter Apr. 6, 1915 1,179,652 Righter Apr. 18, 1916 1,487,976 Rossi et a1 Mar. 25, 1924 

